Starships Present and Past

damraska · Post by **damraska** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:38 am

SWO_Daddy wrote:The link doesn't appear to be working anymore.

My apologies. I worked on my club's website this evening and renamed all the pages in that area. I've corrected the link in my original post.

-Doug

SWO_Daddy · Post by **SWO_Daddy** » Sun May 17, 2009 10:21 am

Doug, thouse have got to be the bst SFB minis I've ever seen. Awesome stuff man. Truely awesome!

Thanks for posting those pics. We've all got a new target to aim for!

damraska · Post by **damraska** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:51 pm

The Master wrote:Now I have to Pine sol my figs again and start over! incredible work!!

Thank you very, very much but oh my gosh, don't do that! I'm sure your miniatures look great right now. I highly recommend taking one ship (perhaps a new, unpainted one), building and painting it the best you can, evaluating what went right and what went wrong, and then using that knowledge to improve on the next one. If something goes wrong and you don't know how to fix it, ask for help. Over time, I guarantee your work will improve, and you will reach and surpass my efforts. Further, if you start afresh each time, you will ultimately have a collection that clearly shows how your skills have progressed, and that feels good.

Also, stripping paint sucks. I hate it. Oh how I hate it.

-Doug

damraska · Post by **damraska** » Sun May 17, 2009 10:08 pm

SWO_Daddy wrote:Doug, thouse have got to be the bst SFB minis I've ever seen. Awesome stuff man. Truely awesome!

Thank you very, very much. Thank you to everyone who replied. I was inspired by the work in this forum and hope my contribution continues that tradition for others.

-Doug

OGOPTIMUS · Post by **OGOPTIMUS** » Mon May 18, 2009 6:31 pm

Love the panneling on the Feds. Your kitbashes are great too.

Rick Smith · Post by **Rick Smith** » Mon May 18, 2009 9:54 pm

Hey Doug, another quick question for you. (I appologize if this was already asked by someone previously). For your W&N oil washes, what did you use to cut the oils? Terp? Also, you probably sealed the model before the wash was applied. What did you use to seal the model?

Thanks!
Rick

damraska · Post by **damraska** » Tue May 19, 2009 3:35 am

Rick Smith wrote:For your W&N oil washes, what did you use to cut the oils? Terp? Also, you probably sealed the model before the wash was applied. What did you use to seal the model?

Hi Rick, I am sure you are very familiar with all of the procedures described below, but I decided to provide a detailed response for less experienced miniature painters. Quick answer: Mona Lisa Odorless Paint Thinner for the oil wash and Model Master Clear Acrylics for the protective barriers.

How I painted the miniatures described in this thread:

For Federation ships, all base coats use Model Master Light Ghost Gray with some Camouflage Gray and/or Armor Sand thrown in (all enamels). I experimented with a few different colors. I applied the base coats with an airbrush, thinned about 30% with lacquer thinner. (Warning: Lacquer thinner is really, really, really bad for you. When spraying lacquer thinner wear a good respirator and work in a well ventilated area!)

After the base coat dries I paint all the details, again with enamel paints.

To seal each miniature I used Model Master Clear Gloss acrylic applied with an airbrush. I find this product self levels well, but not as well as Future. On the other hand, I find MM Gloss Clear wears better than Future. When applying either product with a brush, avoid putting air bubbles on your miniature!

After the clear coat dries, at least 48 hours, I add a wash of Windsor and Newton Black (medium grade) paint dissolved in Mona Lisa Odorless Paint Thinner. I find this kind of wash grainy and difficult to work with. It consistently leaves tide lines and blotches. However, oil paint takes a long time to dry, so after most of the thinner evaporates I move the remaining paint around with a brush to get the streak and shadow effects just right. This takes practice and I recommend first trying it on a derelict or three. I often remove a lot of the wash--running my brush over an area and then wiping the excess paint off on a paper towel. In some places I add a little more of the wash. The process is very "artistic". If a patch of oil paint dries too fast, I dab my brush in some raw thinner and work it out.

The oil paint settles out of the thinner very fast and requires constant stirring. Also, though it does not smell, Odorless Mona Lisa Paint Thinner is bad for your lungs so work in a well ventilated area.

Next time, I will make the wash using Model Master Black enamel paint in Mona Lisa Odorless Paint Thinner. I suspect this mixture will have the same working properties as an oil paint wash with much finer pigments. I also suspect this mixture will make an excellent pin wash.

On some of the Klingons I used an acrylic wash instead. I mixed Model Master Black acrylic paint with distilled water, Liquitex Slo Dri, and Liquitex Flow Improver. This yielded a finer, deeper shadow effect than the oil paint wash. However, acrylic washes dry much faster, even with Slo Dri (or some dish soap). To create rich, complex streak effects oil paint washes seem to work better. For targeted pin washes, acrylics may work better. I am still experimenting.

I let the oil paint dry for 4 or 5 days, then add the decals. (Please note that oil paints take a LONG time to dry.) Starfighter Decals respond very well to Micro Sol and Micro Set. I wet the target area with Micro Set, put one decal down, moved it into position, then let it dry out a bit. In a few cases I dabbed a decal with a paper towel to eliminate air bubbles. When I am sure more liquid will not lift the decal, I hit it with some Micro Sol, being careful not to disturb or move the decal. Do not use Micro Sol until a decal is in position! If you try to move a decal around after hitting it with Micro Sol it WILL collapse. If this happens, get it into fresh water ASAP to stop the chemical reaction. Sometimes you can recover the decal. Plan on spending a couple hours to decal a Fed ship. I think the tug took me 3 hours.

After about 24 hours I hit the miniature with Model Master Semi-Gloss Clear Acrylic. I usually add some Gloss or Flat Clear to dial in the exact sheen I want. Really flat coats wash out the underlying paint scheme. Really gloss coats often make a miniature look toy-like. Only the painter can decide what looks best.

After the final coat dries, I paint the bussard collectors and main deflectors on Fed ships straight Model Master Gloss Clear Acrylic.

Avoid putting air bubbles or finger prints in the clear coat. If you do, let them thoroughly dry, lightly sand them out with 800 grit (or finer) sandpaper, and put on another clear coat. Do not sand all the way through the clear coat!

It's easy to substitute your favorite paint brand in all of the steps above. If you prefer to paint with acrylics, use them! Just keep in mind that acrylic washes can attack and lift acrylic paints, so experiment on a derelict before using a given technique on your latest and greatest creation.

-Doug

Rick Smith · Post by **Rick Smith** » Tue May 19, 2009 4:49 am

Hi Doug, thank you for the very detailed description on how you work. It's very much appreciated and I'm sure that everyone else will enjoy reading it too!

It's always an interesting read - seeing how different folks go about their modeling and painting process. Yours was no exception.

Thanks again!